A64834:428
Sin, the Plague of Plagues
Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins trial and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins tryal and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...
London: printed for John Hancock, 1669
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sin infects all that belongs to man: when man was created, God furnished his house for him, gave him the world and fullness thereof, and it was good; but, Alas, how is it changed! (as I spake before) for sin hath made all that belongs to man very vanity, i. e. empty and unprofitable, Eccl. 1. The fullness of the creature cannot fill a man, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor ear with hearing, for all is vanity; the gloss and beauty, the pleasure and profit of creature-enjoyments are become vanity; yea, and more, sin hath made it vexation too, sin hath imbittered mans enjoyments; man lives among his comforts but a vexatious life; as in the fullness of his sufficiency he is in straits, so in the fullness of his comforts he is in sorrow, in the midst (the very heart) of laughter, his heart is sad: Mans enjoyments are disappointments, they fail his expectations, and so add not to his content, but vexation; neither the length nor the comfort of his life is in the abundance of these things, Luke 12.15. and which is yet worse, sin hath not only made things vain and vexatious, but a snare and temptation to man; they are sins baits, by which it catcheth men; what are honours, pleasures, and riches, but snares to the children of men? Prov. 30.8, 9.
Sin infects all that belongs to man: when man was created, God furnished his house for him, gave him the world and fulness thereof, and it was good; but, Alas, how is it chang'd! (as I spake before) for sin hath made all that belongs to man very vanity, i. e. empty and unprofitable, Eccl. 1. The fulness of the creature cannot fill a man, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor ear with hearing, for all is vanity; the gloss and beauty, the pleasure and profit of creature-enjoyments are become vanity; yea, and more, sin hath made it vexation too, sin hath imbitter'd mans enjoyments; man lives among his comforts but a vexatious life; as in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits, so in the fulness of his comforts he is in sorrow, in the midst (the very heart) of laughter, his heart is sad: Mans enjoyments are disappointments, they fail his expectations, and so add not to his content, but vexation; neither the length nor the comfort of his life is in the abundance of these things,